Look at the new Chevy Bolt EV range test and specs

Look at the new Chevy Bolt EV range test and specs. Image from YouTube.

How much does the new Chevy Bolt EV Cost?

U.S. – General Motors Co. (NASDAQ: GM) presented a hybrid car, and the EPA certified it runs 235 miles per charge. The Chevy Bolt EV would directly compete with the Model 3 by Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), but unlike Elon Musk’s promise, the Chevy will come in December 2016.

Model 3 drives 200 miles per charge, but customers will not see the $35,000 car until early 2018. The Bolt EV will have a price tag around $30,000. It will become the first hybrid with both an affordable price and an over 200 miles per charge out in the streets.

The Bolt EV is already the best available battery-powered in the car mid-range hybrid market. In theory, it could travel from New York to Washington DC without recharging. The Tesla Model X has more mileage, but it also costs around $80,000 more than the Bolt.

Chevy Bolt EV specifications

The 4-door hatchback has a front motor, front-wheel drive and five passenger seats. The electric engine has 200 horsepower and 2600 lb-ft of torque. It has a 92 mph top speed, and it can reach 60 mph in less than seven seconds, according to Chevrolet.

The Bolt EV has an LG 60kWh battery pack. It can charge up to 90 miles in 30 minutes, or 160 miles in an hour in charging stations.

The car has two drive modes, one standard with an automatic transmission, and one “Low” mode to save battery and go at least 40 miles beyond the 238 benchmark.

The cabin features a 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen and an 8-inch digital screen on the gauge cluster to display information about the car and the mileage. It is equipped with Wi-Fi, 4G LTE connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Will the new Chevy open the path for electric cars?

Automakers have been styling the hybrids cars differently than their fuel-engine counterparts ever since the first generation of electric vehicles. However, the Chevy Bolt is the exception to the rule because it looks like a regular Chevrolet hatchback.

The Chevy Bolt EV has incredible features, excellent performance, and a good price tag. Moreover, it will have no competitiion in the mid price-range market because it will launch a full year before the Tesla 3. However, that does not mean the car will be a hit.

Despite the existence of more than a dozen well-accepted electric cars, annual sales of battery-powered vehicles are less than 1% of all U.S. car sales. Buyers concerns are typically the same: prices, mileage, and location of charging stations.

The Bolt should appease the so-called “anxiety range,” the customer fear of running out of power far from a recharge station. Analysts believe this anxiety is the first reason to lure out potential buyers.